Systems and methods of inspecting an article to determine the condition of the article, such as a mask (also referred to as reticle or photomask) are known in the art. Optical inspection systems and methods involve directing a radiation beam onto an inspected object and detecting the radiation reflected from the system or the radiation transmitted through the object.
The size of transistors is constantly being reduced and there is a need to inspect masks (also known as reticles) with higher resolution. In spite of the required higher resolution there is a need to perform optical inspections in a time efficient manner. There is therefore a need to provide a system and method for inspection that is characterized by both high throughput and high resolution.